Yes, Gina Carano did lose to Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos in her last fight, and sure, it was an absolutely convincing win for Santos. That said, the fact that Carano will be on the cover of ESPN the Magazine topless with her left hand over her breasts this Friday says one thing (actually it says much more than one thing, but for writing's sake).
It says, Gina Carano is still the face (and body) of female MMA.
In the end, it's good that female MMA has a superstar that one defeat cannot relegate to the background. On the other hand, her star appeal still seems to be the show for many, not necessarily the sheer skill of female fighters like her and Santos. For female MMA to survive, they need another excellent fighter with star power in America, which will be hard for Santos right now given her inability to speak good English.
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Photo: Esther Lin/Strikeforce
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